Almost Lover
by DeviantDayDreamer
Summary: Konoha is locked in feirce battle and all of the village's elite ninja are called to duty. But what happens when Sasuke is dying and Naruto cant save him? Will the one he loves most finally be stolen away from him forever?


Preface: Naruto, who is now Rokudaime Naruto Uzumaki, is in Konoha, which is in a bloody war. Sasuke has also returned to village and is in the war. Tsunade has ordered Naruto that he can't go into battle.

"Why the hell can't I go into battle?! You know that Konoha needs me! Why?"Argued Naruto with the 5th Hokage, Lady Tsunade.

"You know exactly why you can't! If you die there is absolutely no hope for our village! Your responsibilities are here!"She yelled, standing from her desk. Her eyes burned furiously with tears of despair and she balled her hand into a hard and dangerous fist. "You…you just can't Naruto. I've already lost Jiraya and I don't think I could bare it if I lost you as well." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

"Grandma, I…"

Suddenly Kiba burst into the office. His ANBU outfit was shredded and he was bleeding badly, with his mask hanging loosely to the side of his head, but he showed no pain. Akamaru followed him, bloody as well.

"Naruto! Come! Come quickly!" Kiba ordered, he gripped the blonde's wrist and began tugging him out the door.

"What? What happened? Kiba what the hell is going on?"

"It's Sasuke." said the brunette answered bluntly, He peered at the blonde, not wanting to see the look on his face. "C'mon we have to go now or we won't make it."

Naruto's heart began pounding."No," he whispered, "Please, please be alright!"

He stood from the chair he was sitting and dashed to the door.

"WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING!"Exploded Tsunade.

"To save Sasuke."Naruto announced and dashed out the door. He finally caught up to Kiba who stood in the pouring rain."Let's go!" they said together. Even though Naruto sounded jubilant, inside he was crumbling with despair. Tears fell without warning from his eyes and streamed down his face. As they slowed in they're running pace; he saw a group of ANBU in a circle around.

"Sasuke! Sasuke! Please stay with me!" he heard Sakura pleading. "PLEASE!! DON'T GO!"She pushed his way through the crowd to where Sasuke lay with Sakura desperately trying to heal his kneeled down to where Sasuke lay. The pale boy was a ghostly white and bleeding badly, gasping for breath.

"Sasuke! Why?" Naruto demanded. He scooped the pale boy into his arms and gripped his hand."Sasuke? Why? Why did you do this?!" He held Sasuke's face in his hands gazing painfully into those cold eyes. Sasuke inhaled sharply and coughed up blood.

"Naruto, I'm so sorry...for everything... that I did to...you." he whispered before coughing once more."Naruto...,"he continued, "I...l-love you...so much." The blonde cradled Sasuke closer in his arms, feeling the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

"Naruto, I've always...loved...you." Sasuke whispered. He stared into Naruto's blues eyes. Those eyes that were so different from his own. So beautiful. Slowly he closed his eyes while his head rolled back, lifeless.

"No! NO! SASUKE!" screamed Naruto. He desperately crushed his lips onto Sasuke's, hoping that it would bring him back to life, like in a fairy tale. It couldn't be! It just couldn't! Sasuke can't die!!Naruto slowly parted his lips with Sasuke. The taste of Sasuke's blood mingled with Naruto's own saliva, making tears well up in his eyes. He looked down at Sasuke who was in his arms, rain washing over both of them. He brushed a few stray hairs from the pale face and kissed him again, pulling Sasuke's close to his chest. He was still warm. He unwillingly looked at Sasuke's face once more. Naruto couldn't think of a time when Sasuke had looked so...peaceful.

He cradled the boy in his arms, the rain began to let up to a light drizzle. Naruto raised his face from Sasuke's wounded chest and looked at Sakura, her face was stained with blood and covered with many minor injuries, but the most striking feature was her eyes. Naruto had never seen them with such hopelessness."Sakura," he said in a mere whisper, "I'll bring him to the hospital." She nodded. Naruto stood up, and trudged through the muddy streets to the hospital, carrying Sasuke's bloody corpse. The whole way there, he had never felt so hopeless, so weak, so alone. Tears fell from his eyes onto Sasuke's ghostly white face. When he arrived, he carefully placed Sasuke onto and empty bed and kissed him. "Sasuke... I'm so sorry." He collapsed on the floor next to Sasuke and sobbed. Sakura eventually entered to hospital and found Naruto, crying his eyes out; she sat down next to him and placed her arms around couldn't control his emotions any longer.

"WHY?! WHY?! WHY?! Why couldn't you save him! Why did he have to die?"He screamed as he jumped up from the floor. He grabbed her wrists and looked at her straight in the eyes."WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU TRY! I SPENT YEARS LOOKING FOR HIM BEACAUSE YOU WERE TOO FUCKING PATHETIC TO DO ANYTHING!" he tightened his grip he had on her, causing her to wince."And now, he's gone! I loved him!! I loved him!" The tears fell once more from both pairs of eyes.

Why couldn't you save him?"He repeated before he collapsed onto her lap and cried once again.

"I...I'm sorry Naruto." She embraced him and cried along with him. They cried until they couldn't cry anymore.

That night, he stayed in the hospital with Sasuke, thinking about all the times they had spent together. They were rivals and yet, best friends. Two opposites. So completely different but they were made for each other. He remembered their first kiss, which was accidental, but it started the fist spark of love. He remembered their first mission when sasuke was almost stolen from him. And then again when orochimaru had taken him. He remembered laughing, crying, hugging, and loving him. He remembered when Sasuke left; it was so miserable and dark without him. He remembered seeing him again after all those years, being embraced by him, taking in his sent and warmth. He remembered the joy when he brought Sasuke back to the village. But now, he was gone. He glanced at where Sasuke lay, only an empty vessel.

The following day was Sasuke's felt like a huge part of his life had been killed along with Sasuke and was never going to come back. He had cried the whole night and most of the morning, and he felt drained of all emotion except for regret. As he made his way to the funeral people had already arrived to pay their respects. However, when Naruto came into the midst, they all parted leaving a path for him to walk through. Slowly he walked to the coffin and looked upon Sasuke. His face still beautiful, pale and peaceful."Sasuke, I..." Naruto couldn't finish. He kissed Sasuke one last time before parting and standing in the crowd. The priest began his sermon but Naruto didn't hear one word of it, he was too consumed in sadness, and the hardest part for him was when the coffin closed, locking Sasuke up forever.

Months passed after Sasukes death and people went on with their lives. Even though the war was not won, Konoha was strong as ever with the Will of Fire.

Yet, every day before Naruto "went to work", he visited Sasuke's grave. He often brought flowers, talked about the war and how much he missed him, would cry, and then burst into laughter, thinking what Sasuke would say if he was here with him."Bah! Teme!" He laughed, "I would do anything to hear your voice, just one more time..." he looked at the tombstone and smiled. He placed the flowers on the ground and trailed his fingers on the ridges of the words marked on the stone. A Brave Shinobi.

"I'll see you again, Sasuke, I promise!"


End file.
